Short Takes

Israel needs your money but save the tzedaka, says the board chairman of a new Israeli mutual fund that will invest exclusively in Israeli companies.
"Israel does not need charity, only investments," said Shlomo Eplboim of the Blue and White Fund (the colors of the Israeli flag), set to debut Dec. 31.

As many as 1,000 Iranian Jews will soon be able to leave their homeland for Austria, the first step in a two-step process for gaining admission to the United States as refugees.
Until now, these Jews were unable to apply for Austrian visas because they did not have friends or relatives outside of Iran who could put up the requisite $2,100 security deposit needed for those wishing to wait in Vienna while their refugee applications are reviewed. The money is required to assure Austria that the applicants do not become wards of the state.

A Jewish girl was assaulted by an Arab schoolmate in Brooklyn last week because of romantic, not ethnic tensions, police and school officials have told the Anti-Defamation League. But the ADL said it was concerned that students at IS 259 in Dyker Heights chanted "Jew, Jew, Jew" during the Dec. 12 fight. The Arab teen reportedly was arrested and suspended.

Twelve elderly Jews gather at the grave of an esteemed rabbi in Prague; they plot to consolidate their power and sow global unrest. Their words ultimately conjure up the Devil himself. The stuff of ghost stories? Perhaps, but this nefarious legend is source material for one of the most potent pieces of propaganda in the anti-Semitic arsenal, "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion."

Twelve elderly Jews gather at the grave of an esteemed rabbi in Prague; they plot to consolidate their power and sow global unrest. Their words ultimately conjure up the Devil himself. The stuff of ghost stories? Perhaps, but this nefarious legend is source material for one of the most potent pieces of propaganda in the anti-Semitic arsenal, "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion."

Poland has introduced legislation that would cut compensation to former Jewish property owners and heirs whose homes and businesses were seized by the Nazis. The legislation would cover fewer claims than previous versions of similar bills and would also pay only 8 to 10 percent of the property's value. The Polish government had previously agreed to discuss such legislation with Jewish leaders before submitting it to parliament for approval.